Real Madrid hand Yan Diomande first chance to impress in final Schalke warm-up

Real Madrid have included Yan Diomande in their squad for Sunday’s friendly against Schalke in Germany, giving the Ivorian defender his first opportunity to play for the club in their final match before the new season.

Manager Jose Mourinho has also recalled several key players for the trip, with Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois all returning to the squad. Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate are also included for the first time in this pre-season campaign.

The match will be watched particularly closely because it is expected to mark Diomande’s Real Madrid debut. The defender has become the most expensive signing in the club’s history and will now have the chance to begin building a relationship with his new team-mates.

His performance in possession and his ability to settle quickly into Mourinho’s defensive structure will be among the main points of interest. There will also be attention on Diomande’s contribution going forward, especially if he plays in a side featuring Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

Sunday’s fixture will also be Mbappe’s first friendly appearance of the summer. The France international has returned to Mourinho’s plans as Real Madrid prepare for the opening of the competitive season.

Not every senior player will travel to Germany. Endrick has been left in Madrid after the coaching staff decided he should follow an individual programme designed to reduce the risk of injury. Aurelien Tchouameni is also missing because of significant thigh muscle fatigue.

Long-term absentees Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio remain unavailable.

The Schalke game is Real Madrid’s last pre-season test before their first official match of the new campaign against Espanyol on 22 August. Mourinho is expected to use the fixture to give his players further minutes, assess the balance of his squad and continue integrating the club’s new arrivals.

The Portuguese manager may also use the match to examine the defence he could select for the meeting with Espanyol. Cucurella and Konate have moved strongly into his thinking, with both players hoping to secure starting roles at the beginning of the season.

Konate is now competing directly with Dean Huijsen for a place at centre-back. On the right side of defence, Trent Alexander-Arnold faces competition from Denzel Dumfries, who has made a strong impression since joining Real Madrid.

The friendly therefore represents more than a final run-out before the competitive schedule begins. It offers Mourinho an opportunity to settle several selection decisions, while Diomande prepares for the first appearance of what Real Madrid hope will be an important career at the club.